Where to watch No Way Back
3 1/2 Stars
When F.B.I. Agent Zack Grant’s partner is killed during a blown-up operation, he attempts to find the person responsible. Mafioso Frank Serlano believes Zack is responsible for his only son’s death in the same operation and kidnaps Zack’s son to hold as bait. The action gets wild when airline stewardess Mary is taken hostage to add what seems another insurmountable problem for Zack. There appears to be No Way Out.
Russell Crowe received international media attention for his role in Romper Stomper. I didn’t see that film until years later, after I had seen him play the villain in the Denzel Washington sci-fi flick Virtuosity. And while that performance was memorable, his face faded from memory until Michael Mann’s The Insider announced to the world that Crowe was a serious actor, and the following year, Gladiator made him a movie star. No Way Back has some curio value because it’s a glimpse at an actor in a b-movie production, albeit a very good one, and he’s giving it his all without realizing the accolades and Hollywood trappings that are coming down the pike.
No Way Back is a very entertaining action thriller. Ridley Scott (a future Crowe collaborator) helmed Black Rain (1989), and No Way Back feels heavily influenced by that film in the story department. Midnight Run is another obvious inspiration. Whatever the initial spark of creativity was, the final result on screen was a remarkable feat when you consider the limitations of low-budget genre filmmaking during the Nineties. Frank A. Cappello does a great job staging the action and has populated his film with good actors in all the key roles, which goes a long way in covering for the absurdities of the screenplay. I’m giving No Way Back a high recommendation based on the film’s quick pacing, exciting set pieces, and a pre-fame Russell Crowe who elevates exploitation cinema into worthwhile viewing.
Directed by: Frank A. Cappello
Written by: Frank A. Cappello
Starring: Russell Crowe, Helen Slater, Etsushi Toyokawa